When you are in hell, only the devil can help you out
by Madame Gaston 24
Summary: Desperate to save John, Amanda will do anything. But will she get the happy ending she thinks they will.
1. Chapter 1

Amanda stood nervously on the street corner, she was wracked with nerves but was trying to make herself look as attractive and appealing as possible in her revealing outfit, knowing she had to compete and be more successful than the other competition on the street that night. She needed to attract as many customers as possible.

It wasn't something that was new to Amanda, being a sex worker on the street. But it had been so long since John had saved her that she had forgotten what it was like. Normally her trade had been for a fix of Heroine, but now it was strictly cash only, as now she had something more important to work for. But no matter how many times she did it, it didn't make it any easier or make her feel any less nervous, it was dangerous work being a sex worker but she was willing to take the risk.

She thought about John lying in bed at home, terribly sick waiting for her, unaware of what she was doing. She thought about the time she had spent with him since he had saved her from her addiction and self harming, they had gotten so close since then. No matter what horrific things he had put her through she understood that it had been for her own good, to make her appreciate and improve her life. He had been testing her. Amanda thought about all the chemotherapy she had attended with him, all the times she had been there for him when the treatment made him so ill. She had always been there, soothing him and nursing him, it was the least she could do for him in return for what he had done for her.

John had since discovered an experimental genetic therapy in Norway, but his insurance company 'Umbrella Health' was refusing to pay for it. It had broken Amanda's heart to think that there was a possible treatment for him but they were being blocked access. Therefore the burden settled on Amanda's shoulders to raise the money, as she couldn't bear to see him die. If there was even the slightest chance that this therapy could save his life, somehow she would get the money, she cared about him too much to see him loose his cancer battle. The look on Johns face when he told her that the insurance wouldn't pay for the treatment and all hope was lost broke her heart, and seeing his face she knew she would do anything to get him to Norway.

Her heart stopped in her chest when a black car stopped in front of her, 'this was it' she thought 'No need to be nervous you've done it before' He slowly wound down his window, she leaned in and greeted him stating the price, he agreed and she opened the car door and got in. As they quietly drove down the road to a cheap motel, she tried to calculate how much money she had saved up in her head. Amanda's heart skipped a beat when she was almost certain that she was only this job away from the total price, this was it after this one trick she had enough to take John to Norway.

Amanda lay there still and emotionless as the client did whatever he wanted. She tried to take her mind off what was happening and reminding herself that it was all for John, to get him the treatment he deserved. It had almost killed her soothing Johns hot, sweaty brow as he lay curled in a foetus position on his side on the bed in agony being sick into a bowl, it was something no one should have to witness someone they care about go through. And now that she had raised enough money she was filled with hope that maybe finally John would get better and she would never have to see him go through that again.

Her thoughts were disrupted by the disgusting sound of the client reaching his orgasm. She tried to disguise her cringing face as he got up off her and started to get dressed. If she could have poured bleach on herself there and then she would have done. John had told her about Mark Wilson, the man held in a dark room covered in flammable fluid who burnt to death in his game, how she envied that man in that moment, like she wanted her skin to burn off of her to make her feel clean again.

Amanda had never felt as awkward as when the client drove her back to where he had picked her up, he gave her the money when he stopped the car and she clasped it in her hand like her life depended on it. She normally hated this part it made her feel so worthless and expendable. Being brought and then discarded on the road side like a used tissue once he had done what she wanted. But not today, this time was different as she ran back to John she had a huge smile on her face.

Amanda ran as fast as she could back to John, she couldn't wait to tell him that she had raised enough funds for his experimental treatment. She found him fast asleep in his bed; he looked so peaceful laying there it was a shame to wake him. He looked so innocent asleep, looking at him you would never have thought he was capable of creating such sick and twisted games even if they were for the victims own good.  
"John…John wake up" She whispered stroking his hair; he grumbled and turned his head towards her slowly opening his eyes. He looked exhausted, tired both mentally and physically, tired of feeling sick and tired of fighting and looked much older than his current years of age. "Sorry for waking you" She apologised "But I've got such great news" Amanda beamed.  
"Mmm?" John mumbled, he'd lost hope long ago. It took a lot to get him cheerful now.  
"I raised enough money for the experimental treatment" She announced happily, her smile couldn't be bigger if she tried.


	2. Chapter 2

Amanda excitedly ran back to John's workshop, she couldn't wait to tell him the news. She stopped at the old metal door and checked that no one was around before she got out her keys. She got out her big bunch of keys on a rusty key loop and searched through them to find the workshop key. Everything about the workshop was primitive and old fashioned; although his traps were cleverly made with complex designs they were crafted crudely with chunky metal.

Her stomach twisted as she walked through the workshop towards the dimly lit grimy backroom that masqueraded as a hospital room. She hated seeing John lay in that horrible room, she wished she could get him to a proper hospital with modern facilities, but she knew that would result in John being arrested. He was sleeping soundly so she decided not to wake him, he was often in pain so for him to have a restful sleep was rare, so she pulled up a chair and sat beside him for a while. Amanda gently swept a stray strand of white hair off his forehead back in its proper place, causing John to awake with a gentle moan.  
"Hay John, how you feeling?" She asked softly.  
"Other than the usual headaches? Fine" John replied deadpanned, then took a sip of the water from a cup with a straw that Amada held out for him, which was followed by a cough.

Amanda looked at him sympathetically; she hated to think what pain he was going through.  
"I've got such great news to tell you" Amanda said cheerfully, remembering what she had to tell him. John raised his eyebrow at her, wondering what there possibly could be to get excited about.  
"That experimental treatment you found in Norway…." Amanda began.  
"What about it?" John asked, he had lost all hope of that ever happening.  
"Well….I, I've been saving up for a long while, ever since the insurance refused to pay out and well….I've finally got enough, we can go to Norway for the treatment!" Amanda announced happily, a huge smile on her face. It felt so good to smile; it seemed so long since she had had anything to smile about.

She had expected John to be happy; she'd expected him to at least smile. She hadn't seen him smile in so long. But no instead of a smile there was a frown as he thought for a moment.  
"Where did you get that kind of money?" John said frowning at her.  
"I….I, It doesn't matter, we can afford the treatment now" She said softly, wishing that he would just be happy and proud of her.  
"Where'd you get the money Amanda?" He yelled, causing himself to break out into a coughing fit.  
"I worked for it, I earned it for you" Amanda said, trying to stop her voice from breaking, why couldn't he just be proud of her and be grateful instead of telling her off like a naughty child? John gave a disapproving sigh once his coughing fit had passed.  
"You've gone back to that? After everything I taught you" John snapped causing "This is not what I taught you about cherishing your life and respecting yourself!"  
"Do you have to be so damn UNGRATEFUL, I did this for YOU, I SOLD myself for YOU" Amanda snapped back, she quickly put her hand over her mouth and gasped, shocked that she had talked to him like that.  
"I didn't ask you to! All I asked was for you to follow the rules" John snapped raising himself up on his forearms, getting himself worked up he broke out into a coughing fit. As he coughed he slowly lowered- himself back down onto his back and took a deep breath out of his oxygen mask.  
"Shhh enough now, get some rest" Amanda soothed, running her hand through his hair.  
"You've got a game to begin" John whispers with his oxygen mask firmly placed over his mouth, giving her a glare of disapproval.

Amanda swore under her breath while puffing and panting as she dragged the unconscious test subject into an empty warehouse room. She scowled at the test subject and called her all the names under the sun. From what Amanda had observed, the new subject had a happy life, a great marriage and a family. Amanda was feeling bitter, this woman had everything that Amanda didn't but wanted and yet she still wasn't happy. This woman was so ungrateful, she had everything and yet she cut her wrists for a bit of extra attention. This woman wasn't worthy of the life she had, she didn't value it and Amanda was going to make sure that this woman didn't survive to continue living it.

_Slowly a dimly lit tiled warehouse came into focus through blurry eyes, she squinted at the pain in her head, her head was pounding. Where was she? She went to stand up but realised she couldn't, she was chained to the chair by her legs and round her neck. There was a table in front of her that was full of various instruments, scalpels, scissors and secateurs, all neatly lined up. _

_Suddenly a TV turned on, first it was static but then gradually the picture came into focus. A puppet with a white face, black hair and red swirled cheeks turned round towards her on the screen.  
"Hello Carol, I want to play a game" The puppet said in a deep gravelly voice. "For years you have been unappreciative and ungrateful of your life, you started cutting yourself for more attention, you cut your nose off to spite your face, and so can you do that again to save the life you don't respect?" Carols eyes went wide with shock as she realised what the puppet was asking of her, she actually had to use these instruments to actually cut her nose off to spite her face. "On the table is a small box, after sixty seconds if you have won the game, the box will open which is the key for your freedom. If you fail the nail bombs around will detonate… Let the game begin" The puppet then disappeared and the TV went back to static. _

_Carol panicked frantically, pulling against the thick chains but she knew it was no use, she would never break through them and she didn't have the time to try. Her hand hovered over the various tools, thinking of what was going to be the best instrument for the job. Carol finally settled on the secateurs, realising using them she could complete the task in one slice. She picked them up and held them to her nose was in the middle of the blades. She took a deep breath, closed her eyes and SNAP!_

_She screamed at the top of her lungs, blood pouring from her face, she covered the wound with her head but blood streamed through her fingers. She looked longingly at the box on the table but it didn't open, Carol looked back at the ticking clock that was almost on zero. Suddenly the timer reached to zero she only had time to make one sob before the whole room exploded in a blast of rubble and nails. There was NO key! _


End file.
